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Second Chance Dogs

by Jennie Richards · Published May 11, 2019 · Updated September 23, 2024

“A dog that has had a hard start in life really deserves a happy ending.”

Second Chance Dogs tells the heartbreaking and heartwarming story of one facility dedicated to giving abused, neglected and mistreated animals another chance. Through innovative techniques, patience, and complete commitment, the dedicated staff at the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center is rescuing, rehabilitating, socializing, healing and finding new adoptive homes for rescue dogs that deserve a second chance—and were once considered hopeless cases, but whose lives have been completely turned around to have a happy ending. All the dogs in these cases were saved from fear, starvation, terror, neglect, extreme confinement, and sickness to finding their loving and safe forever homes.

The ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center is the first-ever facility dedicated to the rehabilitation of canine victims of animal cruelty, like dogs from puppy mills, hoarding cases, and animal fighting cases. The project was born from a hoarding case in western Tennessee, where the sheriff was going to shoot all the dogs because they were unsocialized. The ASPCA was called and was given 16 hours to catch all the dogs and place them in an animal shelter. In 2010, they determined a space was needed for dogs that come from cruelty and need time to heal and trust again.

The ASPCA built a permanent Behavioral Rehabilitation Center near Weaverville, North Carolina, following the success of its program at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey. The center was finally opened in 2017.

For more information about the film, visit https://secondchancedogsfilm.com/.

How to recognize and report animal cruelty.

How to report puppy mills and dog fighting (reward given leading to an arrest).

How to report animal hoarding cases.

Watch the Full-Length Film

Film Length: 58 Minutes

Film Premier: 2016

Puppy Mill Conditions for Dogs

“A puppy mill is a large-scale dog breeding facility that puts profit and greed over the welfare of the dogs.

Breeding dogs live in very small cages, they are usually no more than six inches longer than the dog in each direction. They live on wire flooring which can injure their paws, and the cages are stacked on top of each other, which means urine and feces rain down on the dogs below. Water bowls have algae and feces in them, so it’s not even drinkable for the dogs. There is usually a very, very severe lack of veterinary care so we see dogs suffering, sick and in pain. The puppy mill owners just don’t want to spend money on the dogs, their intent is to profit and make as much money as possible. We see mange and skin diseases. Dogs are so heavily matted, we cannot even see their skin. Dogs have had so little human contact and touch, and because of that they shy away from human touch. If you buy a puppy at a pet store, or online, or at a flea market—you run the risk of having a very sick dog and having a dog with a genetic problem or problems. If you do buy a puppy there, not only can you have a very sick puppy, you are also supporting a very cruel and inhumane industry.”

Quotes from the Film

“The owner would throw a bag of food out to 150 dogs, so some dogs had no ears, the dogs would fight for the food.”

“Many dogs from puppy mills and hoarding cases are so fearful they cannot get adopted.”

“Many dogs needed behavioral healing, they were too behaviorally damaged.”

“We won’t be able to save them all, but we can make an incredible difference. We can make such an impact.”

“Our Cruelty Intervention Advocacy Department rescued these dogs from a puppy mill case. There were 55 dachshunds all in cages, in a dark room, there was urine and feces all over the house, the dogs were having litter after litter of puppies, and only two dogs were spayed and neutered. This was an intervention that needed to happen—and quickly.”

“A puppy mill is a large-scale dog breeding facility that puts profit and greed over the welfare of the dogs.”

“We are incredibly excited to give these dogs what they deserve, but they have a long road ahead of them.”

“Can you imagine living life in a state of constant terror—that’s what these dogs live with every single day.”

“Missouri has more puppy mills than any other U.S. state—by far.”

“The important thing to realize about under-socialized dogs is that forcing them to interact with people is a very bad idea. If I was going to pressure him and approach him, instead of allowing him to approach me first, that could be dangerous for me and make him think people are very scary.”

“Because dogs are individuals – not all treatments will work the same for them. We need to be flexible.”

“We are dealing with dogs that have such a tremendous amount of fear and anxiety.”

“Hoarding is a psychological and a compulsive disorder. It’s not based on the number of animals but on the quality of life for the animals. Hoarders are oblivious to the harm they are causing.” “There will sometimes be dead animals on the bed or on the kitchen table. The relapse rate for hoarders if given the chance, is 100 percent.”

“Animals in hoarding situations often exhibit extreme fear, the animals will have to fight for every inch of space in the home. We now try to undue the harm done to animals by human beings.”

“The public’s phone calls notifying us about hoarders is often what it takes to trigger us to go out and rescue the animal victims of hoarders.”

“Every dog is an individual, just like us humans.”

“To put in the time day after day, and be able to see the progress we are seeing, is such an amazing feeling.”

“The issues that Avalon and Thunder had—and still have to some degree—are because of the puppy mill environment they came from.”

“After years of puppy mills and shelters, they will finally be in their new forever home!”

“I think rescue animals in general make amazing pets.”

“It’s important to rescue from a rescue shelter, because the animals deserve to know there’s a meaning in life.”

“I think it’s important to take a dog that had a bad start in life, and let them know that everyone is not like the people they were initially raised with—that there is someone out there that will love them.”

“They went through a lot when they were little, they deserve to know that someone cares for them.”

“A dog is the best friend you could ever have, they always listen and sympathize. With Lily, I get outside more now, she makes me walk. I have to walk – it’s good for me physically. To be loved by someone, that is what dogs are for—I think we were meant for each other.”

“All dogs deserve a chance to have a loving family – especially the most fearful.”

“The successes that I’ve seen here so far, I will never forget. It’s been amazing and so rewarding to see these animals finally enjoy life.”

“Watching them go from terror to playing and having people touch them, and enjoying that! To see them become pets, I have no words for how wonderful that is.”